What Do You Think is the Color of Luck?
by igottiredofmyoldusername
Summary: AU. Sakura was a poor college student struggling with her studies and financial problems. Her friend Saki offered her a job to pose for a portrait for someone she knew as a solution. Sakura didn't expect everything that happened afterwards, especially the identity of the painter behind the white canvas. Basically, an AU with all of them alive.
1. The smell of paint.

Siiighh..."

A long haired girl walked down the busy streets one summer. With a folder in hand, she was shielding her face from the hot and bright sunlight of a summer afternoon. She could almost see the air sizzle from the hot temperature. This wasn't the hottest temperature recorded in the city, but it was still uncomfortable. She tried to wipe her forehead with the back of her arm as her entire face was drenched in sweat, but that action didn't really help that much.

"I hope it gets cooler soon..."

She lamented as she tried to uselessly fan herself with her free hand. The girl wore a simple dress and a bag was slung on her shoulder. The pair of sandals she was wearing were clacking on the searing asphalt. Judging from the ID swaying on her chest as she took a step forward, she was probably a college student.

"My allowance is at its limit, and yet I still have to pay for that requirement. And the fridge is empty too. Should I get another part-time job...?"

The girl continued to talk to herself with a troubled expression. She actually moved to the city to study and her parents would give her monthly allowance. From the remote city of Saga to the concrete jungle that was Tokyo. But because of the boatloads of expenses in college, she still supported herself with a part-time job to earn a bit of money. She just can't trouble her family with her financial problems that easily. When she finally reached her final year in college, she stopped doing part time jobs and focused on her studies more than she used to. As a struggling college student, she had been facing these problems for four years already.

"Siiiighhhh..."

"Man, that's quite a long sigh ya' have there."

The revving of an engine was shortly heard and the girl turned her blue eyes to glance at that direction. From there, she saw a girl with a long ponytail. Her blonde hair had streaks of green and orange as it swayed in the wind. She wore a long jacket (cape?) that extended down to the middle of her legs and an attire of that of a delinquent. The motorcycle she was riding stopped in front of the other girl then she smiled a cheeky grin.

"Yo, Sakura!"

"Saki-chan!"

The college girl named Sakura was a bit surprised to see her delinquent friend named Saki. The two had a peculiar history that ended up with them being friends dating back a few years ago.

"It's damn hot in here. Wanna ride?"

Saki invited Sakura to ride her motorcycle as she freed the space at the backseat. Sakura just nodded and struggled to get on the bulky customized vehicle.

From Saki's description, she was actually a member of their local biker gang that protects the whole city. They were known to do a lot of risky stuff, but Sakura knew that they were not really evil. Just rowdy. As a lady biker, her motorbike was heavily modified and customized to suit her liking. The bright orange coating and the large engine gave it a really intimidating vibe.

As Sakura finally settled on her seat, a thought suddenly entered her mind.

"E-eh? But you don't have helmets, right?"

"Who cares 'bout that? Let's go!"

"Ah, wait!"

Saki drove off at full speed with a panicking Sakura who tightly locked her arms on her waist. She couldn't really protest to the older girl from fear of being blown away from the fast-moving motorcycle. The roaring engine sounded on the streets as they drove off to the direction of Sakura's house.

* * *

"Th-that was dangerous, Saki-chan!"

"You're exaggerating! And look, we're alright. Nothing bad happened, see?"

"That's not it!"

"I know, I know. Sorry, got carried away."

Sakura reprimanded the biker girl for almost giving her a heart attack. The speed that they were going was not a joke. They made sure not to drive on the main roads but the roaring of the engines caught the attention of the police and they were given chase. The only way to escape from them was to speed up a bit more, and Sakura's heart almost leaped out of her chest.

On the other hand, Saki just scratched the back of her head. She parked her motorcycle in front of an old 4-storey building which was Sakura's dorm. She had been here a few times before and would come crashing in unannounced.

"By the way, can I stay the night? The cops might tail me again y'know." Saki proceeded to climb the stairs to the fourth floor.

"Sure, sure. But I don't have anything to feed you."

"You're broke again?"

"Studying is expensive..."

Sakura immediately followed. As they reached the door numbered 402, she fished in her pocket for her keys and carefully inserted it in the keyhole. The door soon opened then she flicked the light switch. Saki came inside before her and casually sat on the tatami like she owned the place.

"Sorry, I didn't have time to clean up."

"It's okay, this actually looked better compared to when you see it from the outside. This building is really damn old!"

Sakura's room was actually neat and with fresh wallpapers covering the walls. Her bed also looked really organized as the pink sheets didn't show any signs of wrinkle. Her bedside table had a few clutters on it, but still acceptable. The room might be small, but the atmosphere inside felt really cozy. And it also smelled nice. All in all, Sakura's room was well maintained.

But the building's appearance was the complete opposite. There were a few small cracks lining the walls, giving out its age. The paint had been chipped away at some parts and mold started growing on the dark corners of the corridors. If you look at her room and the building seperately, you would never think that the former actually existed inside the latter.

"So? What are you mumbling about earlier?"

After observing the area, Saki immediately went to the matter at hand. Sakura, who placed her stuff on the bedside table, plopped down on the bed face down.

"Huyuhohmphhm?"

"What?! Can't understand ya?!"

All that Saki could hear were unintelligeble sounds as the pillow muffled Sakura's voice. She shifted her head and faced to the side then answered the older girl's question with a downcast expression.

"Do you know any other part-time job...?"

"Ah, why don't ya just join my gang? We earn a lot y'know?"

Saki nonchalantly offered with her eyes lighting up. Sakura glared exasperated at the blonde.

"I already rejected that offer before, right? I'm serious right now."

"I'm serious, too. Can't miss the chance of someone strong joining the gang."

"I'm not even that strong..."

"What about your previous job? Y'know, that convenience store?"

"I've just resigned a few days ago. And it actually occupies too much of my time..."

Sakura remained unmoving from her position. Her listless eyes stared at the opposite wall, thinking of a solution to her problem. Will she really get a new job right off the bat? She decided that she would focus on studying for now, especially that she was a graduating student. Because of this, she resigned from her previous part-time job. If she would get another part-time job, would this occupy her time for studying? Staring at the opened notes on her bedside table, her head started to ache from all the thinking.

On the floor beside the bed, Saki also started to think with her cheek propped on her left hand. A part time job that doesn't occupy much time? Is that even possible? Even being with Dorami was actually a bit time consuming with all the gang wars and small errands. She didn't really know a lot of people beside her gang and a few rare friends so it took her a lot of time to come up with a suggestion that was nothing along the lines of 'join my gang.' Her outsider friends included Sakura and four others...

Wait, four others?

Saki suddenly stood up straight as she grabbed the side of the bed. She began shaking the bed in excitement. Sakura's shoulders jumped from her sudden movements and sat up to stop her friend's actions.

"He-hey! Why are you shaking my bed all of a sudden?! It might break!"

"I've found it, Sakura!" Saki's eyes glowed with happiness and triumph. She tightly grabbed the long haired girl's shoulders in excitement. She had found the jackpot.

"Wh-what?"

She grinned. "The perfect job for you!"

Sakura stared disapprovingly at the biker girl and held her arm.

"If that involves joining your gang, then I refuse."

"That's not it! Lemme finish first!"

Saki began shaking the girl and she swayed like a lifeless doll. Sakura pried the blonde's hands away from her shoulders and recovered her bearing. Saki also stopped shaking her and contained her excitement.

"Y'see, I have a friend somewhere."

"A biker?"

"No, no. Far from that."

Saki shook her head. She then raised a finger in the air and spoke with more seriousness.

"She's actually a painter, and I heard she's looking for uhhhhh... what do you call that? Live specimens?"

"Don't you mean an artist's model?"

"Ah yeah, that."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. Her mind was thinking along the lines of 'how did she have a painter friend?' and 'can that person really be trusted?' but quickly dismissed the thought. It's Saki, after all.

_'A painter, huh...' _

As the words 'painter' and 'painting' echoed in her mind, a useless thought came to her and she blushed profusely.

"N-n-n-n-nude paintings?!"

"Huh? Whatcha talkin' about?"

Saki crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. A few seconds have passed and after seeing the completely red face of the girl, her mind started to click.

"Oh, you mean, that? Never seen her do that kind of thing. But she's also a girl, what's to be shy 'bout showing a bit of skin?"

"Saki-chan!"

Blush crept from Sakura's neck to the tip of her ears. Even if the painter was a girl, she would still feel really embarassed because the process required intense staring at her body. The thought alone had already made her really embarassed. Noticing how silent Sakura had been, Saki slouched down and replied nonchalantly.

"Well, I think she's not going to paint a nude painting. She didn't say anything about that. If she actually planned to, shouldn't she tell me beforehand?"

The blush on her face had reduced. What Saki said actually made sense, so she gave it more thought. An artist's model? It would be her first time doing this, so it made her a bit nervous.

"Ah, don't worry. This person is actually filthy rich. She pays good money! I'll bring you there when you've already made up yer mind."

Saki ended the conversation and lied down on the bare floor. Sakura gave her a few sheets and a pillow then she proceeded to sleep.

"Good night, Saki-chan."

"Un, good night."

Sakura couldn't sleep well that night as her thoughts were occupied by this sudden job offer.

* * *

Morning came and the two girls were wearing different clothes from yesterday. Sakura wore a light pink blouse and jeans paired with a pink and green rubber shoes. Saki now sported an orange parka and baggy trousers to match with her orange sneakers. The two were preparing for their departure as they sat on the motorbike's seats comfortably.

"You should get a helmet, Saki-chan."

"Nah, those stuff are lame. Not gonna put myself into an accident anyway."

Sakura just sighed and put on her own helmet she used when riding her old bicycle. Fastening the strap, she fitted it snugly on her head then proceeded on clinging to Saki's frame for her dear life.

After hours of contemplating, she finally agreed to the offer.

"I already called her earlier. She said we can come anytime now."

Said Saki as she gripped the handlebar. But before she took off, she glanced slightly to the other girl and left a warning. An awkward expression was plastered on her face and Sakura couldn't help but stare back.

"Ah, one more thing. Don't get shocked with her appearance though."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Uhhhh you see..." Saki scratched her cheek and averted her eyes. "She's kinda... different? Well, don't mind it. Let's go."

Sakura let the matter go and nodded. The two of them drove off, leaving the place in silence.

After a few minutes, the motorcycle stopped at a fairly large apartment. Sakura couldn't help but gape at the entrance as the building itself casted a shadow upon her. How come Saki knew someone living in a place like this? She realized that she didn't know much about that girl after all.

"We're here! Gotta ring the doorbell."

Saki hopped down her motorbike and ran towards the entrance. Beside the metal gate was a small button complete with an intercom. She pressed the button impatiently a lot of times until a short static was heard.

_'The person on the other side might get irritated with that way of knocking...' _Sakura thought.

As the static cleared, a female voice resounded from the device's speaker.

_"What the heck?! Stop pushing the buttons too much! It's noisy!" _

"Hey! It's me, it's me! I have someone for ya."

_"Are you some kind of a swindler...?" _

The voice suddenly reduced in volume out of suspicion (or probably exasperation?)but Saki just replied with her usual loud voice.

"Stop playing dumb! It's me, Saki!"

_"Sorry, never knew you."_

"Hey! You wanna die?!"

As Saki angrily shouted at the poor device, Sakura could easily tell that despite the rough treatment, these two were actually close friends. You can't just shout at someone you didn't know, right? And there was this sense of familiarity with these two that she can't put into words.

"Hey! Get outta there or I'll destroy your door and force my way in!"

As she finished her sentence, a short click was heard and the door to the entrance opened slightly. Soon, a bandaged(?) hand peeked out of the space and gestured for them to come in.

"The gate is open."

It was the same voice from earlier. From the first time she had heard the voice from the speaker, a sudden indescribable feeling filled her chest. This time, without the static obstructing the voice, Sakura had found the word to describe it.

_'It sounded... nostalgic?'_

Saki pumped her fists and dragged Sakura excitedly. She barely managed to remove her shoes as she arrived at the porch but was quickly dragged again by the other girl.

"He-hey! Calm down, Saki-chan!"

"Hey Ai! She's the one I told ya. She looked like an egg right?"

"Again with that..."

Sakura lifted her eyes and stared at the other person in front of them. She had short dark hair and reddish eyes. The small yellow flowers on her earrings can easily be spotted by the eye.

But that was not what caught her attention the most.

This person was covered with bandages from head to toe, even her face. Her eyes and nose only peeked out of the wrappings but you could clearly see the reddish discoloration on her skin. She also wore long pants and long sleeves with occasional traces of colorful paint and dark ink on its cuffs.

_'Have I seen her before...?' _

Noticing the intense staring that she did, the girl wrapped her arms around her body protectively like it would block her line of sight. Sakura quickly snapped out of it and bowed down apologetically.

"I'm sorry for staring! M-my name is Minamoto Sakura. I'm also a friend of Saki. Please take care of me..."

The girl raised an eyebrow, but her posture loosened a bit. Saki patted the girl's shoulder weakly, urging her to do the same. After clearing her throat, she also started to introduce herself.

"I'm Mizuno Ai. Don't worry, I'm kinda getting used to being stared at. Please take care of me too from now on."

_'Mizuno... Ai?'_

Sakura quickly stood up straight with wide eyes and the girl in front of her was clearly startled. Recognition suddenly dawned on her as she stopped herself from grabbing the girl. The nostalgic feeling in her chest quickly transformed into a recently unburied admiration.

"Mi-Mizuno Ai?! You mean, Iron Frill?!"

Ai and Saki widened their eyes in shock. For Saki, her mind was riddled with questions.

_'Iron Frill? What's that? Is that edible?'_

Confusion surfaced from her face, oblivious to the stiff posture of the girl beside her. Ai clenched her fists and tried to calm herself before replying.

"Yeah, that. But that's a thing of the past now, so let's not talk about it."

As Sakura heard those words, she clamped her mouth shut and covered it with her hands. But her blue eyes couldn't help but stare at the familiar figure in front of her.

_'So that's what happened after the accident...' _

When she was still in high school, she was a big fan of Iron Frill, the biggest idol name of her generation. She bought every single and album and went to their live performances. The idol group's center was Mizuno Ai, and she inspired a lot of girls her age before, including Sakura herself. When she was feeling down, hearing Ai's voice would make her feel better, and that's why she treasured that person very much.

But a freak accident suddenly brought her booming career into a halt.

A sudden lightning bolt struck the stage together with her during one live performance. Sakura wasn't there when it happened because she herself were confined in a hospital, but she knew of it through the news. She almost fell into despair that time, her hopes and dreams crumbling together with her favorite idol.

After the incident, Mizuno Ai was reported to miraculously survive the multiple burns of varying degrees on her body, but this caused her to ultimately quit the industry all together. Many fans showed support for a swift recovery, but the third degree burns she received were simply too much.

After a few years of silence, everyone has forgotten everything about her.

Her favorite idol suddenly appeared in front of her with clear signs of the trauma that struck her. How was she supposed to react? The two of them remained silent and averted their gazes from each other.

"Hey, you guys okay?"

Saki couldn't take the silence anymore as she waved at the two of them. She felt like she had control of the situation earlier, but why did it turn out to be really unpredictable like this? Ai just turned around and gestured for them to follow her.

"I'm fine. This way."

Sakura stared at the girl's back and followed together with the clueless Saki. She could notice that the dark haired girl's gait was small and slow. To be more precise, it felt like she was just dragging her feet on the smooth floor. There seemed to be strain in her every movement and Sakura couldn't help but painfully glance away.

They stopped in front of a door and the short-haired girl twisted the knob. The door opened silently and the smell of paint wafted in the air.

"Here we are."

The room's walls and floor were all white. The shelves and cabinets beside the wall were filled with different art materials, from acrylic paint to gouache, from the smallest paintbrush to the widest variant. A lot of paintings were hung up on the wall and all of them bore the same signature. The colors around the room contrasted with the pristine white walls and created a scenic atmosphere.

"Wow..."

"It's amazing, right? Ai did all of that!"

Saki also stared at the paintings like Sakura did and they eyed all the little details. The strokes of the brush, the changing colors, the texture, everything. They were too beautiful for their eyes.

Ai just sat on a chair in front of a blank canvas. She rolled up her sleeves a bit and called for their attention.

"Saki, you can sit anywhere you want. As for you, Sakura, please sit on that chair."

"What's with the difference in treatment?!"

Saki retorted before sitting down on the floor beside Ai. Sakura gingerly excused herself and sat on the provided chair. As soon as she found herself comforable, the painter took a good look at her, her eyes scanning her from her head to her toes and back up again. She just kept staring, and Sakura couldn't help but feel nervous.

"Y-yes...?"

"Take off your clothes." Ai simply ordered.

"...What?" There was a short pause in Sakura's mind. Did she hear that right...?

"I said take off your clothes. We'll do nude painting."

"W-wait, WHAT?!"

Sakura quickly jumped up from the wooden chair and toppled it over. Her face was completely crimson and steam could almost be seen coming out of her head. As Ai continued staring, she protectively placed her hands on her chest. Saki also had a shocked expression on her face as she covered her eyes with her two hands.

"You serious, Ai?! I never knew you actually do those stuff!"

"I'm trying to explore. It's just art, nothing's wrong about it, right?" Ai nonchalantly said with a straight face.

"But you didn't tell me a shit about it!" Saki covered her eyes more firmly as she shouted at her calm demeanor.

Sakura gulped. Her mouth and throat had gone dry. Just like what she said, this is just art, right? Nothing wrong with it. But still... She's not prepared for this!

As she was about to speak, a short chuckle was heard from behind the canvas. Sakura raised her head and saw Ai trying so hard not to laugh. Saki also removed her hands from her face and peeked at the chuckling girl.

"I was just joking. You looked so tensed, so I decided to lighten the atmosphere a bit. Didn't know this would actually be that hilarious."

Ai snickered and directed her teasing stare at the clearly uncomfortable Saki. Sakura gaped at her revelation, but the blush on her face still hadn't disappeared. She slowly removed her hands on her chest and left it hanging by her side.

On the contrary, Saki quickly stood up and charged at Ai's direction.

"Damn you, Ai! You scared the shit out of me!"

A slap almost went to the short haired's back, but she quickly stood up and evaded her hand.

"It's just a harmless joke. And what's wrong with seeing another girl naked? If it's for art, then nothing's wrong. I already did a nude painting before in art class, and nothing is actually that surprising."

Ai shrugged. Nude paintings are just paintings if there's no malice behind it. But to tell the truth, she didn't expect Saki to react like this. Maybe she did for Sakura, but not with that thick-headed Saki. She stared in front of her and saw Saki struggling for an answer.

"Didn't know you were actually a maiden deep inside."

"The hell are ya saying? I was just surprised! You never did this before!"

"Sorry about that."

Actually, Saki didn't really mind nude paintings in general, but seeing something like that unfold in front of her all of a sudden made her a bit conscious. Especially that the subject was somenone she personally knew.

Ai breathed out to calm herself then stared at Sakura again with a serious expression. The long-haired girl looked nervous again from her stare based on her stiff posture.

But surprisingly, Ai let herself smile a little behind the bandages.

"Try to relax, Sakura. We're just doing a regular painting from today onwards. You can sit down again and act normally, or the painting would turn out to be a bit mediocre."

"O-Okay!"

Sakura breathed out a sigh as she sat down on the previously toppled chair. She tried to relax, but she was still embarassed from what happened earlier. She almost thought that she wouldn't be able to marry anymore after this. Shaking her head, she quickly dissipated the useless thought running in her mind.

Relieving herself from the earlier thought, her mind quickly moved to the remaining topic that settled in her mind. She tried to distract herself from it but she still couldn't forget the realization she had found out earlier.

This person was actually her idol when she was younger.

It was now her turn to stare at the painter in front of her. The canvas was a bit in a way, but she tilted her head to take a peek. Ai has finally seated and was taking out different kinds of pencils, checking out their pointy leads. She found the look of serious concentration on her face as fascinating. Even through the years, she still couldn't stop admiring this person in front of her. Even if she's not an idol anymore.

When she saw Ai staring back at her, she went back to her previous position and averted her eyes.

"You're really staring at me too much..."

"So-sorry! I can't help it..."

Ai just shrugged it off and started drawing lines on the canvas. With her bandage-covered hand holding the pencil, she started with various ambiguous shapes and rough sketches. Saki stared at the process and her face immediately looked confused.

"Huh? How come you start with those squiggly lines and shapes? How do they magically turn into those things?"

Saki impatiently pointed at the beautiful painting hung on the wall as she inquired. Ai didn't spare her a glance as she continued lining the sketch.

"Things don't magically turn like that. You need to have something simpler first, then use it as a basis to do something more complicated. Most painters do this first before anything else, I guess. But sometimes I defy the norms on special cases."

"I don't understand."

"I didn't expect you to."

The sound of the pencil scraping against the canvas filled the room. With the passing time, Sakura couldn't help but feel droplets of sweat pouring down her back despite the air conditioning.

_'I never knew that this was actually a bit nerve-wracking...'_

Without moving an inch, she turned her eyes to the finished paintings on the wall. There were five on her line of sight. The leftmost one was actually a landscape painting of the nightview of the city, complete with the bright lights of different establishments as they glow from the dark backdrop. The stars couldn't be seen in the night sky that was depicted in the painting, but the entire image somehow resembled different constellations riddling the heavens.

On the other hand, the other paintings were all portraits. She could actually see a lot of familiar faces. The first one was Hoshikawa Lily, the long-time famous star of television. Sakura had seen her in a lot of dramas and posters nationwide, and her acting prowess was no joke. She started out as a child actress and her popularity boomed since then.

For Ai to paint Hoshikawa Lily... Was Ai a really famous painter? Or did they know each other?

The next one was surprisingly Saki. She wore her usual biker gang outfit with a big grin on her face. With the unlady-like way Saki sat on the small chair, the painting really caught her overall personality.

"I never knew you did this too, Saki-chan."

"Huh? Oh, that. I just decided to lounge at her house that one time, didn't know she was actually painting me."

Saki stood up and stared at the painting of herself. It was quite small compared to the other paintings on the wall, but it held a great impact to its surroundings. Compared to the other paintings beside it, it exuded an undescribable brightness that only this painting could produce. Knowing that it was Ai that painted this, she probably imbued her impression of Saki in this painting.

"That's just something I did really quick. It took me two hours to finish that with her moving around and rummaging my things."

Ai was holding a paint brush right now and was spreading paint on the white canvas. She didn't even glance at Saki as she talked and just continued to spread the paint on the canvas in a really refined way. Her gaze exchanged from the canvas and to Sakura and the girl felt a bit nervous again.

_'Okay, I need to focus on other things...'_

She tried her best on staying still while she searched for something to stare at. Beside the mentioned paintings, there were two paintings of different sizes on the wall adjacent them. The paintings' subject was a girl their age (or probably a bit older), with white, fluffy, hair.

_'Wait... that's...'_

"Konno Junko?"

Ai's shoulders jumped up and the paintbrush withdrew from the canvas. There was an unreadable expression on her face for a while, but she quickly resumed what she was doing. Saki just stared at Sakura and raised an eyebrow at the sudden namedrop.

"Who's that? Someone you know?" Saki followed Sakura's line of sight and saw the paintings. She placed a hand on her chin as she tried to remember something.

"Hmm... Where have I seen this face before?

"Saki-chan, you don't know her? It's Konno Junko, a reknowned singer! She really has a great voice, I also listen to her songs and will never get tired of it. How come Ai-chan painted a portrait of Konno Junko, I wonder? Did she know her personally?"

As Sakura talked about the singer in the portrait, Saki's face lightened up as she looked like she finally remembered what she was wracking her brains for.

"Ah, now I remember!"

"Right? She's really-"

"I saw her here before!"

Sakura was taken aback by Saki's statement. She stared at her wide-eyed then gazed back at the painting.

"You saw her here?"

"Yeah, no doubt. That's her!"

_'Probably during the making of the painting...'_

To actually see a singing superstar face to face, Saki must be really lucky. As Sakura wondered on the matter, a loud voice halted her thoughts.

"I saw her cooking some breakfast here before. She lived here with Ai."

"Oh... Wait, what?!"

Sakura had encountered another shocking fact on this job. This house didn't just have one celebrity living here, but TWO of them! Was she dreaming? Or she's just lucky for the first time? She couldn't wrap her mind around it and stared at Ai who was busy painting some colors on the canvas.

"Ai-chan, is that true?"

Ai removed her gaze from the canvas and stared at her for a while.

"Yeah. This is originally my house but she decided to move in. We split the expenses though."

Then she resumed doing the painting with her eyes darting back and forth from her and to the canvas. She seemed to be too concentrated on what she's doing that she didn't think that what she just said was actually quite shocking for the fangirl that was Sakura.

"How did you know each other?! And when did she start living here?"

She noticed Ai stop for a bit as her eyebrows frowned. Saki stared at them noticing that the atmosphere had changed. Sakura slapped her mouth and apologized.

"I'm sorry for asking. I didn't mean to get too personal..."

Ai resumed brushing some strokes and the periodic staring like nothing happened. Sakura thought that the other girl was upset and her posture slumped from embarassment.

"No, it's fine. We have been friends since I was still in the industry. She just moved here because some creepy stalkers have been lurking around her house. So far, nothing suspicious happened around here, so she felt a lot safer."

Sakura hummed in reply. She relaxed her body and returned to her usual position. The longer she stayed here, the more surprised she became.

"Then, are you friends with Hoshikawa Lily, too?"

"Yeah."

Sakura's eyes sparkled. She was really being lucky today! She'll be thanking Saki later after this. As her mind wandered around, she suddenly heard Ai's voice.

"Enough about me. What about you? Can you tell me anything about yourself?"

"Eh?"

Sakura was quickly put out of her reverie and jumped on her seat. Seeing that Ai's attention was aimed at her, she quickly thought up of a reply.

"...But, there's nothing really interesting about me though."

"It doesn't matter. It's my choice whether to call your story interesting or not. And also, I need to know you better while I do this to give it character. Not knowing anything about your subject would produce static and empty paintings."

Ai replied with all seriousness. Based on Sakura's observation, Ai was a really serious person. She doesn't want her time to go to waste, and everything that she did was all for her to get what she wanted. She was also a bit mysterious with all those observant gazes and short replies.

Sakura frowned as she thought of a good story to tell.

_'What should I tell her...?'_

She searched her memories for all the good stuff that she could tell, but she couldn't find something that was worth sharing. Most of the good stuff in her life involved Ai, too, and she might open a few scars by opening that topic.

Sakura flinched as she could feel Ai's intense stare at her. She scrambled for words, but the bandaged girl raised a hand.

"Never mind, you don't have to force yourself. Let's just continue where we left off."

"No... I'll tell you something! Uhhh..."

Ai was about to paint again when Sakura mumbled lowly. She peeked from behind the canvas with curious eyes and waited for the other girl to continue.

Sakura breathed in deeply to prepare herself. Where should she start? She still didn't know, so she just spoke of the first thing that came to mind.

"Uhhh... I'm actually really unlucky..."

Ai raised an eyebrow at her sentence. Unlucky?

Saki, who remained silent while rummaging the room glanced back at her, her attention piqued from her word choice. Well, she couldn't deny it, too. During the two years she had known Sakura, there would always be bouts of misfortune waiting for them. Just like this last time where they were chased at by cops. It didn't actually happen quite often when she was alone, but when she was with Sakura, the probability somehow increased. She just tilted her head and agreed.

"Well, yeah. Kinda."

Ai stared reprimandingly at Saki and she just raised her hands in front. She didn't mean it to be something negative. The bandaged girl just sighed helplessly and gestured for the long-haired girl to continue.

"Well, for example... I would suddenly trip at a conveniently placed object on the floor? In the end, I always get the shorter end of the stick."

Ai immediately narrowed her eyes. _'Isn't she just a klutz?' _she thought. She was actually stopping herself from thinking that but she couldn't really help it. With what she could see right now, her thoughts may actually be real.

"There would also be a time that the vending machine wouldn't give me the right change, or worse, it wouldn't give me anything at all, even the thing I actually bought."

"How often does that happen?"

"9 out of 10 chances."

Ai quickly regretted doubting her. With a probability as high as that, she couldn't help but feel pity for the girl. Even old machines didn't even malfunction that often! Hearing more of this would probably be really painful so she tried to divert the topic.

"Hmm, well, do you have any hobbies?"

Sakura's eyebrows went up in mild surprise, but it was completely replaced by a contemplative expression in just a few seconds. After a long hum, her face suddenly brightened.

"When I was in middle school, I played a lot of sports! Participating in stuff that makes you move a lot is really refreshing. And I also love listening to music. I don't really have a specific genre that I like, but listening to songs are like reading books to me. And making sweets! I love sweets!"

Sakura had a dreamy expression on her face and Ai couldn't help but feel relieved. With how things started earlier, she could bet that the story would get a bit sadder, so she deliberately avoided the nearest landmine. She didn't expect to trigger the next landmine, though.

"And I also love idols, especially Iron Frill! I have been watching Ai-chan ever since, seeing her dance and sing made me really happy. With the amount of merchandise that I own, I can proudly say that I am a big fan!"

The room was suddenly silent. Sakura immediately noticed her slip up, but it was too late. She raised her head and stared at the former idol worriedly, but all she could see was a blank expression on a bandage covered face. She was just staring ahead, her eyes empty. Completely nothing.

Saki, who actually listened attentively at her story, was suddenly confused with the change in atmosphere. She turned her gaze to the painter and observed her. Just like what Sakura saw, her face was completely blank, but her hands had been clenched so hard that she might actually break the paintbrush into two. Everytime that 'Iron Frill' was mentioned, these two would react weirdly for reasons unknown to her. She suddenly felt a bit nervous staring her in the eyes and voiced out her concern.

"Oi Ai, you okay?"

Hearing the voice beside her, Ai jumped in her seat and her breathing hastened. The light in her eyes returned as she stared at the two people who were with her in this room then breathed out a sigh. Getting a grip, she patted down some superficial creases on her clothes and proceeded like nothing happened.

"Sorry, please continue."

Sakura was completely flustered. She didn't know what to do. She almost felt like cursing herself for doing such a grave mistake. She deduced that anything about Ai's previous occupation was the first thing that she should avoid from saying, but her little fan girl brain decided to let it slip. She quickly bowed down in apology.

"I'm sorry Ai-chan! Uhhh, um, I also like watching television! It makes me relax after a really long day..."

Sakura gazed forward and she couldn't help but stare at Ai. The short haired girl looked like she was actually listening, but if you look closely, she seemed to be really distracted. The corners of her mouth were really close to breaking out into a grimace, but she hid it behind a neutral expression. Sakura really regretted her words, her hands balled into fists on her lap.

But before she could actually say something, Saki interjected in the stretching silence.

"Why don't we continue this some time? It's getting late already."

The two stared at the wall clock hanging on the wall and they were visibly surprised. It had been three hours already? With the things happening in this painting session, they couldn't really feel the passage of time.

Ai stood up first from her seat and stared at the canvas before her.

"Alright, we'll continue this tomorrow. Judging from the pace the painting is going, we'll be meeting for two more days. I'll just wait for you here daily."

Sakura nodded in response. To be honest, she thought the painting would be finished in a day. She didn't expect that she would be going here for a few more days.

But with what happened today, she really felt nervous of the possible things that could happen on their next meeting.

Saki also stood up from the floor and dusted her pants off. She stretched her arms in the air and made a move to the door.

"I'll take her here again tomorrow. Yer neighborhood is kinda hard to remember, y'know."

"Okay, I'll trust you with that. Also, Sakura."

Sakura quickly stood in attention with the sudden mention of her name. She moved her gaze to the bandaged girl and saw her take out something from her pocket. Soon enough, a small brown envelope was held out to her in the distance, so she made a few hurried steps closer. She gingerly took the object from her hands and made a peek at its contents.

Her eyes immediately widened in shock.

_'I actually get this much?!'_

Sakura gaped at the person in front of her and held the envelope tighlty in her hands. Was this real? She blinked a few times and gulped down.

"That's your pay for today. You'll get another for tomorrow and the next day's session."

"There's still more?!"

"See? Told ya she pays good money!"

Saki grinned at Sakura's shocked expression. Calculating the amount of money that she would get in this job, she could actually survive with this money alone. She secretly thanked Saki deep inside for getting this job for her.

"Alright, see ya tomorrow then!"

Saki pulled the room's door open widely and waited for Sakura to go ahead of her. Sakura bowed a little and waved at Ai before leaving the room.

"Thank you very much for today. Let's do our best again tomorrow!"

"Likewise. See you soon."

When Sakura had finally left the room, Saki stood at the doorway and stared at Ai with a serious expression.

"You should stop bottling it all up y'know."

Ai was clearly fazed for a second.

"I know."

Satisfied with that answer, Saki turned around and waved goodbye before closing the room's door. Ai moved to the window and stared outside. A few moments later, she saw Sakura and Saki move out of the gate and hop on the motorcycle. Sakura also glanced at her direction and bowed deeply before wearing her helmet and driving away.

Seeing that the duo had already left, Ai breathed out a sigh and dropped her hands to her sides. She dragged her feet to the door and slowly made her way to the living room.

Her movements were noticeably more sluggish and strained compared to earlier as her face started to sweat. As soon as she reached the long couch, her legs gave up and she collapsed on the soft cushions face down. Her chest moved up and down in fast movements as her breathing hastened. Her entire body was screaming in pain from all the muscle soreness that she could feel in every inch of her bandage covered body.

"... I think... I worked myself... too much."

Ai's voice was muffled by the cushions as she spoke in between gasps.

A lot has changed ever since the incident, and this was one of them.

Ever since that incident, her life had never been the same. Her muscles would easily sore and her stamina would also run dry very quickly. Even doing the same repetitive motions can cause her muscles to cry out in pain. She had been working this entire day without adequate rest, from art commissions to comic manuscripts. She knew that overworking herself could lead to her current situation, but she didn't want to be a dead weight and lie low.

As for why she was doing this portrait painting, it was just for reference. She was actually told to do this by Junko as a suggestion, but she didn't actually fully agree with it. She told Saki about this a few days ago then quickly regretted it as the delinquent thought that she actually wanted to do this, even bringing one of her friends here. She didn't like to socialize herself anymore with all these scars decorating her body like a brand mark. It was hideous (but Junko said otherwise).

As her eyes were about to close from fatigue, a soft click was heard. Her ears managed to catch the sound, and she identified it as the door's lock being undone. Soon enough, the door of her apartment opened and a familiar female voice reached her ears.

"Ai-san, I'm home."

She listened carefully to the soft thuds of her footsteps. At first, it was steady and secure, but when it finally got closer, it increased its pace into a short sprint.

"Ai-san! What happened?!"

"Junko..."

She couldn't really turn her face to the side so she settled with saying her name against the soft cushions of the couch she was lying on. She shortly felt a pressure on her shoulder and deduced that it was Junko's hand.

"I-I'll carry you to your room!"

"Hnn."

Ai managed to hum in response. She suddenly felt her upper body being lifted and she could finally see the woman's face. It was really Konno Junko, her long-time friend that ended up barging into her house unannounced. They had been cohabitating for quite a while that they had already memorized both of their voices and movements. Junko mostly pampers her too much when she had the chance, which she quickly grimaces at. She didn't really like being attended to, but the older girl's help was sometimes proven to be handy. Just like in this moment.

Her slender arms were slung on Junko's shoulders and she soon found herself pseudo-standing and being slowly dragged to a room. She could feel how the other girl's ribcage moved up and down in quick succession. Junko was never an athletic person, so having someone lean on her shoulder can be a bit taxing on her.

Junko struggled with the knob and she could only stare helplessly. With this battered body of hers, she couldn't really do anything. A somber expression was slowly painted on her face. What if Junko wasn't here? She'd probably be dead one way or another.

They finally managed to enter the room and made their way to the bed. It was just a simple room with a comfortable looking bed. On the table that was positioned beside the wall were a few pens and pencils scattered on a sheet of paper. There were also a few cds filed in a small cabinet beside it, with a thin sheet of dust accumulating on the cd covers. It looked like it hadn't been touched for quite a long time. Everytime Junko saw this, she would always feel down and think of the person beside her.

She gently laid down the younger girl and tucked her under the sheets. A relieved expression could be seen on her bandage covered face as Junko gazed at her worriedly.

"Thanks, Junko."

Junko just shook her head. Ai proceeded to close her eyes and finally fell asleep in just a few seconds. The white haired girl breathed out a sigh and placed her fingertips on the white bandages on Ai's face. She gently tugged on it and it unravelled easily. The reddish marks on the sleeping girl's jaw was finally seen and she made sure to be careful enough not to touch it. After she finished removing the bandages on her face and neck, Junko then moved to reach her arms and did the same. The tree-like patterns extended from her shoulders down to her thin but capable hands. Junko had seen these scars a lot of times before ever since she moved here, but it still wouldn't fail to make her remember a lot of things in the past.

Junko breathed out a sigh and stood up with the bundle of bandages in her hands. She silently walked to the door and glanced one last time at the sleeping girl's form before fully leaving the room.

* * *

"Alright, I'll be staying 'ere again."

Saki said as she sat on her usual spot on the floor. With what happened earlier, she didn't feel that it was right for her to leave the girl alone for the night. She propped her chin on her hand and stared blankly on the wall. Sakura soon entered the room and sat on the bed silently. With a worried expression on her face, she also stared at the wall like Saki did.

"I hope Ai-chan is doing okay..."

"Yeah, never seen 'er like that before."

"..."

Sakura couldn't help but feel guilty. How was she supposed to face her tomorrow? Ai acted like nothing happened afterwards, but she knew that she was still affected. Sakura felt like grabbing her hair in frustration.

Noticing the silent torment that her friend was experiencing, Saki smiled reassuringly at her.

"Don't worry yer ass too much, I have a feeling that tomorrow will be good."

"... How reliable is that?"

"Much more reliable than your egg-shaped head."

"..."

"I was just kidding!"

Sakura glared at Saki who held her hands up.

"But it makes me think, what's that all 'bout? I don't even understand a shit yer saying!"

Saki exasperatedly laid her back on the floor with her arms as a makeshift pillow. As a lady biker, she didn't really care about anything that didn't concern her. Guts was enough to live on. Beause of this mentality, she became out of the loop with current events. She had been fighting her way to survive as long as she could remember that she had forgotten that being updated with today's news was actually important.

Sakura's stare softened as she heard her friend's question. It seemed that Saki was unaware of Ai's past and the reason behind the bandages. Maybe she actually felt like asking her about it, but didn't want to pry too much. Considering the amount of bandages wrapped around her body, anyone could only imagine what was lying beneath them and any sane person would be anxious asking about it.

"It was... a long story. We should just let Ai-chan tell you about it personally..."

"Man, this sucks."

Saki flipped her body to the side, facing the wall. Sakura took this as a sign that she was ending this conversation for now and also made a move to her bed. With turbulent emotions and thoughts spinning in her head, she doubted that she could actually sleep peacefully tonight. She covered herself with pink sheets and stared at the blank ceiling.

"Tomorrow's gotta be a long day." she heard Saki mumble in the deafening silence.

* * *

Author's note:

HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII HERE I AM AGAIN WITH A NEW FICCCC! What? What do you mean older stories? Huh? Updates...?

...

I don't know what your talking about. *averts eyes*

Well, welcome to my first Zombie Land Saga fanficcc! Yay woooooooooo

I've been crazy about zombie land saga since some time ago and it gave me a lot of ideassss. It's been a while since I last wrote something soo I actually redid this a number of times. English is not my first language sooo expect some grammatical errors. This is gonna be a sshort multichaptered fic and I'l update whenever I waantttttt tehe :P

And 8,000+ words? That's freakin long! Well, I actually wanted to vividly describe the setting and the character's thoughts to give you guys a mental image of what was going on soooooo it ended up being that long. Hope you don't mind.

What do you think about it? LEAVE SOME REVIEWS GODDAMMIT

Sorry for the crazed AN and thank you for actually reading this! Really appreciate it.


	2. white and blue

After a good night's sleep, Mizuno Ai had finally awaken. Her tired eyelids fluttered open and she immediately saw the bright rays of sunlight from her window. She sat up sluggishly and the covers slid down to her lap. Feeling the wind on her skin, she gingerly touched her face with her scarred fingers. She had just realized that her bandages were removed and her scarred skin was exposed. Her fingers traced her jaw and breathed out a sigh.

_'Junko must have removed it...' _

She stretched her arms in the air and the soft popping of her joints was heard. Her body didn't feel sore anymore, she felt completely refreshed. She swung her legs to the side of the bed and stood up on her bare feet.

_'I guess it's time to work.' _

Ai walked to her cluttered desk and was about to sit down when she heard the door open.

"Ai-san."

Ai quickly turned around and saw Junko standing on the doorway. The white haired girl stared disapprovingly at her so she couldn't help but gulp audibly. Ai turned her eyes to the digital clock on her desk to check the time.

_'It's noon already?! But..' _

Ai stared back at Junko with a perplexed expression on her face and straightened her back.

"Why are you still here? Your work starts in the morning, right?" Ai asked, her shock visible on her face. Junko continued to stare at her and didn't move from the doorway.

"I cancelled all of my appointments today."

Junko replied calmly. It took a few seconds before her words registered in Ai's mind and she shouted out in shock.

"You WHAT?!"

Junko still stood at the doorway unfazed, her eyes never leaving the girl's slender form. Her schedule usually starts at 10 in the morning, so Ai expected her to be already out of the house. Cancelled her appointments? The frail girl couldn't help but feel frustrated. That was the most ridiculous thing she had heard this week.

"What do you mean cancelled your appointments? You're a famous singer, right? You can't just do that!"

Thinking about it, Junko's schedule was really packed from day to night. From music recordings to tv guestings, this girl didn't have much free time. But to cancel all of her appointments? Ai thought that was completely insane. A lot of people were waiting for her and those stuff should be done at the earliest date. How could this girl just cancel them off and stay in her house without thinking much of the consequences? And why would she even do this? If it was about taking care of her, she would be really pissed. Ai couldn't help but think about all of these as she gritted her teeth in frustration.

"I talked to them properly, and they promptly accepted. I'm not being boastful, but if you consider the range of my fame, work would just come after me anytime. A day's off doesn't affect me that much."

Junko replied calmly with her soft voice. What she just said was true, she could just get those work anytime. With a celebrity as famous as her, even getting her to promote or appear before anyone was a dificult task, considering that there were a lot of people seeking for her. In a day, there would be a lot of deals for performances and guestings, but not all if them gets accepted. And her pay was not a joke, making it harder for smaller businesses to have her performance. With her reputation, most people were willing to wait if she somehow asked for a day off. Just like now.

"Most importantly..."

Junko trailed off and gazed intensely at Ai and then the cluttered desk. A frown etched on her eyebrows as she knew what she was about to do.

"What are you doing on your desk? You should be resting for the day."

Ai's eyebrows twitched. Rest? Her? She didn't have much time! With all of those commisions and editing that she still haven't finished? She would rather do it as earlier as she could.

"I can't just do that. Unlike you, I have deadlines. I just can't leave them hanging like that."

Ai proceeded to sit down on the chair and faced the cluttered mess that was her desk. She tried to continue her unfinished work but the sounds of footsteps alerted her. Junko, who was suddenly beside her, grabbed her arm to stop what she was doing.

"Ai-san, you should listen to me, you need to rest!"

"I can't! Don't be selfish!"

Ai hastily stood up from her chair as she glared and snarled at the soft-spoken girl. She retrieved her arm from the other's grip forcefully and she immediately let go. Their glares met each other unyieldingly as the two of them stood their ground.

"I'm not the one being selfish, you are!"

Junko raised her voice. It was rare to see this girl angry, but Ai just stood still, unfazed. She clenched her fists tightly and raised her inner defenses. This wouldn't be good, they're arguing after a really long time.

"How am I being selfish now? Can't you see that there are people waiting for these works? If I'm going to postpone working on them, then that is more likely to be called selfish!"

"You don't understand!"

"Huh?! What is it that I don't understand?"

"You don't understand anything!"

Junko's voice raised a bit more, her frustration clearly shown on her words. She clutched the hem of her dress and hid her face behind her white locks. Her shoulders were also shaking from her raging emotions. Ai clamped her mouth shut and braced herself.

"You've been working yourself too much these days! What if you collapsed somewhere and injured yourself, and I wasn't there to help you?! What if your body felt so sore you couldn't even move from your position just like last night? What if you get sick and I wasn't there to take care of you because of work?! You don't really understand! Can't you just... notice that I'm worried for you..?"

Junko grabbed the sleeves of Ai's shirt and leaned on her chest. The taller girl felt tears seep into her shirt as the other girl's shoulders twitched from her emotions. _Ah, now I've done it. _Ai just stood stiff in her position. It wasn't the first time Junko cried in front of her, but seeing her like this made her feel a bit guilty. She clenched her teeth in frustration. She was at a loss on what to do. They had been friends for a really long time, and it wasn't that rare for them to argue back then. In fact, they actually became close after an intense argument. They were just too different that their opinions clashed against each other.

But ever since that incident happened, Junko had been more understanding of her. Withstanding her mood swings, knowing what she really wanted to do even without her saying it, supporting her in the things that she have decided on, and a lot more. This girl gave up a lot of things for her, heck, she didn't even know if the stalker she told her about was true. Remembering all of the things she had done for her, her hands loosened and her shoulders slacked. She felt both helpless and relieved at the same time. She felt so weak to have this girl worry about her. She was her friend, there was no denying it, but there should be a limit on what she should do for her, right? If it costed her so much just for a person like her who couldn't even walk far without exhausting herself, why couldn't she just give up on her and think of herself, too? Why did she have to be frustrated with a helpless girl like her?

But having someone like her by her side made Ai feel relieved. She might be a person who seemed distant to other people, but having one companion with her doesn't feel that bad. Maybe two. Saki was a friend, too, but sometimes her energy exhausts her. (She never thought less about her, though, don't misunderstand.)

If relying on her satisfied a selfish part of herself, then she would just reluctantly succumb to it and drown in the warmth it gave her. What could a person like her do, anyway? She stared far and didn't move in her position. She didn't even move her hands dangling lifelessly on her sides.

"I'm sorry, Junko... I..."

Junko clenched her sleeves tighter, her hics and sobs getting a bit more audible. She must have been tired.

"Don't belittle yourself too much."

She heard her mumble against her chest. Junko correctly guessed what was running in Ai's mind again. Was she a mind reader? Ai bit her lip and didn't say nothing. She couldn't just agree to that knowing her current situation.

They stayed like that for a while until Junko pulled away. She wiped her tears with her sleeves and proceeded to walk away. As she arrived at the doorway, she looked back and averted her puffy eyes.

"I went here to check if you're awake and call you for lunch. You should go down after you're finished."

Then Junko quietly exited the room and closed the door shut. Ai breathed out a sigh and moved to clean the mess on her desk.

"What a terrible way to start the day..." Ai mumbled to herself.

* * *

After her afternoon classes, Sakura and Saki drove to the painter's house immediately. Their long hair were swept by the wind and swayed gracefully. Sakura tightly gripped the other girl's torso as the motorbike increased in speed.

"Saki-chan, can you please drive more slowly?"

"Huh? That's stupid. This way, we'll get there faster."

_'I kinda wanted the ride to take a bit longer but...'_

Sakura thought to herself. Ever since she went out of Ai's apartment to go home, her nervousness had reached new heights. She couldn't sleep well that night. She could feel her anxiety gnawing on her from the inside. What was she supposed to do this time? She screwed up last time, there's a high chance that she would do it again. Her hands were still clammy from all the emotions swirling within her since last night. How was she supposed to talk to Ai again? She probably hated her now. Sakura felt like ripping her hair out from frustration.

Saki couldn't sleep well last night, too. Aside from Sakura's nonstop nervous fidgeting on her bed, Saki's mind have a lot of things to think about, too. With her two friends acting troubled over something she didn't understand, she didn't know where to place her feet on. The two of them were unwilling to tell her anything, too. She also thought that it's wrong to just barge into their problems by forcefully asking them about it. It would just turn worse. Saki tightened her grip on the handlebars subconsciously and the motorbike gained speed, causing Sakura to reel back and wrap her arms on her waist.

"Saki-chan! Why are we getting faster?!"

"Huh? Don't know what ya mean."

Saki just shrugged it off and gained more speed, with Sakura clinging on to her dear life during the entire trip.

A short time had past and they're finally in front of Ai's house. Saki propped the kickstand as she parked it close to the railings of the gate. She then walked quickly to the door bell and pressed the button impatiently just like last time. Sakura just watched from behind silently, her hands clasped on each other.

"Oi, Ai! We're here!"

The person inside the house didn't respond quickly unlike yesterday. With Saki's impatience, she spammed the buttons faster compared to earlier.

"Ai! It's me, Saki! Get yer ass outta there or else!"

Saki continued to press the buttons and shout at the mic. The neighbors might get disturbed with all this noise. Sakura was about to stop Saki when the static finally blared to life.

_"...Y-yes?"_

"Huh?"

It was a soft and meek voice.

That's definitely not Ai.

"Who are you?"

Saki quickly asked as she stared at the camera of the device. The voice on the other end was totally different from Ai's that they immediately recognized that it wasn't her. If that was Ai, she might also have screamed back at the receiver and snark at Saki for being so goddamn noisy, but this person replied shyly and politely. Sakura tilted her head in confusion.

The voice stuttered a few times before answering back. She was probably too startled with all the shouting that Saki did. Poor girl.

_"Um... I th-think I should be asking that first...?" _

"Hah?! You wanna die?!"

_"Eep!" _

"Saki-chan! Stop that!"

Saki, with her gangster instincts, snarled at the poor girl on the other line. With all this terrorizing, they might not get the door to open. Sakura stepped forward and held Saki's right shoulder and the blonde backed down a bit. She took this opportunity and switched places with Saki. She politely introduced their selves to the girl on the other line.

"I'm Minamoto Sakura and this is Nikaido Saki, and we are here for the portrait. Ai-chan told us that we should drop by today. Is today a bad time..?"

There were shuffling on the other line and a few muffled voices were heard. Saki leaned a bit closer to recognize the voices, and she heard a bit of Ai's. After a while, the girl came back and replied.

_"Ai-san is having a sudden rest day, but... I guess you can come in for tea?" _

"Sudden rest day?" The two raised their eyebrows.

_"Yes... a lot of things happened."_

Saki and Sakura stared at each other. That was unprecedented. They were not sure whether to come in or just go home. With today being a day off, for what reason were they needed here? They can't just barge inside and hang out doing nothing. Well, Saki did it all of the time, but today was different. Before they could decide, the oak door clicked and opened wide. Out of it came a white haired woman in her twenties, somewhere near their ages. Her fluffly hair swayed in the wind as she gracefully went down from the porch to the gate and silently opened the lock. The two both had a look of recognition on their faces as they saw her up close.

_'It's Konno Junko!' _

Sakura shouted in her mind. Her eyes continued to stare at the figure before her, unmoving. She wasn't dreaming, right? She was too starstruck to form a greeting.

As for Saki, she recognized her as the girl in Ai's house before. She could still remember her cooking some delicious food that she wolfed down in the span of seconds.

On the other hand, the girl looked uncomfortable with all their staring.

"Wh-what is it..?"

The two snapped out of it and hurriedly gathered their selves.

"I-I'm sorry! I'm Sakura Minamoto, and this is Nikaido Saki. We're sorry for all the trouble we have caused."

"No, it's okay. I wanted to meet you two anyway."

The trio walked through the door, removed their shoes, and moved to the living room. From there they saw Ai wearing a black long sleeve and gray pants. Her face was covered with a mask. Judging from the white towel slung on her shoulder and her wet hair, she must have just finished taking a bath. It seemed that the bandages were absent, too. She just sat idly on the comfortable looking sofa with her hands in her pockets, hiding it from other people's stares.

"Hey."

Ai greeted. Saki moved closer and sat on the other end of the sofa comfortably while Sakura stood unmovingly in her place. What was she supposed to do in this situation again? She could see the laidback posture of the painter as she slouched on the sofa. It seemed like she had forgotten what happened yesterday, or she just pushed it out of her mind. Sakura decided to join Saki as she excused herself from barging into Ai's house.

"Hey Ai, heard yer havin' a day off? Been feeling weird?"

Saki asked with concern mixed into her words. Ai shook her head.

"No, I'm feeling good. Junko just insisted I should rest today."

"Hm~?" Saki now had a teasing look on her face, Ai didn't seem to like this as she leaned away.

"Does that mean that the Mizuno Ai is no match for the white cotton ball over there?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

Irritation was clear in Ai's voice as she glared at the smirking Saki. Saki just stared at her with a smug grin and was about to say something when the sound of hurried footsteps reached her ears.

"Ai-san, you should dry your hair properly! You might catch a cold."

Junko quickly paced to Ai and grabbed the white towel hanging on her neck. She then proceeded to gently dry her dark hair with it. Sakura and Saki just stared at what was happening with blank expressions on their faces.

"Oh, I should get the hair dryer! Wait right there."

Junko shuffled to a room and the three were left in the living room with a thick atmosphere.

"What was that, Ai?"

"Don't you dare say anything."

Junko immediately came back with a dryer in hand. She plugged it in and proceeded to dry Ai's hair in front of everyone. She seemed to be too absorbed with what she was doing that she seemed to forgot that they had visitors. Ai just sat there with a blank expression. She couldn't really do anything.

"You're living a good life, Ai."

"Shut up."

Junko seemed to snap out of it as she retreated her hands. She finally noticed that the two visitors had been staring at her the entire time. She put the dryer down and quickly apologized.

"I-I'm sorry, I got carried away. I'm Konno Junko, it's nice to be of your acquaintance." She shyly bowed down, her ears red from embarassment. Ai just breathed out a sigh.

"It's our pleasure, Konno-san." Said Sakura a bit bashfully. Junko just smiled at her after she recovered from her embarassment.

"You can just call me Junko."

"Oh... okay, Junko-chan."

Sakura looked more composed compared to her reaction with Ai, but deep inside, her heart was bursting with excitement. It's Konno Junko! In the flesh! These past few days were like a dream to her. She didn't know that being acquainted to two celebrities could actually make her feel this happy.

"I'll just prepare some tea."

Junko excused herself and left the room. With only the three left, a dense silence floated in the air. The first one who broke the silence was Saki, as expected.

"It's rare to see 'er here. What's 'er name again?"

"You mean Junko. Yeah, she decided that today will be her day off too."

Ai replied indifferently, but a hint of irritation was mixed within it. Saki noted her weird choice of words and asked her about it with a hand on her chin.

"She decided to? She can just do that?"

"Apparently, yes. I told her not to, but I was too late."

Ai clenched her hands in her pockets, her eyebrows frowning from emotion. No matter what she told her, Junko wouldn't change her mind. All these pampering were getting on her nerves, too.

"By the way, is she always like that? Y'know, being all protective of you that it's kinda... too much?"

As Saki asked her again, Ai breathed out a long, tired sigh. The emotions on her face were getting clearer, and it showed exhasperation and irritation.

"She's not like that most of the time. It's just..."

Saki raised an eyebrow as Ai dragged the sentence.

"And? What have ya done to make her act like that?"

Ai's eyebrows twitched. With the way Saki stated her words, it felt like she was the one to blame. But in a way, that was true. She couldn't just admit it openly.

"... I kinda overworked myself yesterday. She went home to the sight of me collapsed on the same couch we're sitting on."

""What?!""

Saki looked surprised and stared at the long couch she and Ai were sitting on. She collapsed? Wasn't that bad? Was that connected to the reason why she hid her skin? Or she was just really tired? Saki's mind was riddled with questions.

As for Sakura who kept listening to their conversation, her shoulders jumped and she leaned forward in her seat. Hearing those words, she couldn't help but feel worried. Overworking herself to the point of collapsing, just how much work did she take on yesterday? She even started the portrait yesterday, and get emotionally worked up with her slip up. Sakura felt a little guilty while thinking this.

"Man... Can't really blame her from acting like that. But are ya sure yer feelin' okay now? We could just visit another time."

"No, I'm fine. Junko just insisted I rest today. I'm feeling better compared to yesterday, actually."

Ai said while rolling her shoulders. Her muscle soreness had completely gone and she felt really refreshed. She also moved her toes for greater measure, and she didn't feel sore nor get a muscle cramp. Everything's good. As she checked herself, she noticed Sakura, who was sitting farthest from her, lower her head and speak softly.

"I'm sorry, Ai-chan. I may be partially at fault with what happened yesterday..."

Sakura hid her face, her hands holding each other weakly. With that slip up from yesterday, she opened some old scars. She was really regretting her words that she couldn't sleep peacefully last night. Ai just simply stared at her with no signs of negative emotions. Judging from her face, she didn't seem like she was affected with what happened.

"No, it's alright. With my current condition, my body gets sore really easily, and I also have sudden bursts of mood swings. I should be the one saying sorry for acting weirdly yesterday."

Ai ended with a polite bow. Sakura waved her hands in the air, flustered with the sudden politeness of the girl.

"S-stop apologizing, please! It's a bit embarassing... Let's just forget it, okay?"

Sakura smiled awkwardly with her face a bit red from being slightly embarassed. She didn't really expect Ai to apologize to her, especially when she knew that she was the one at fault.

"With you being a fan of mine before, I knew that it would be inevitable. It was a thing of the past, nothing will change if I keep on reacting to it."

Ai finally removed a hand from her pocket and her bare hand was exposed to the others to see. The two widened their eyes in shock of what they saw.

Scorched, warped skin, dark and reddish. There were also tree like patterns that stretched from her fingertips to her arm hidden by her sleeves. It was their first time seeing it, and they made an audible gulp.

Saki knew Ai for quite a while, but she didn't know what was lying beneath those bandages. She was expecting scars, but not of this kind. Despite being the tactless person that she was, she couldn't just ask something this important. She might not look like it, but she knew her boundaries, too.

"Ai...! That hand..."

"Yeah. Hideous, isn't it?"

Ai just answered solemnly. She closed and opened it slowly to ease the tension in her muscles.

"You probably didn't know, right? I was an idol back then."

"... Huh?!"

"... I know what you're thinking."

Ai glared at Saki's exclamation. Saki clamped a hand over her mouth and shied away slightly. On the other hand, Sakura just stared at her scar-riddled skin, her eyes getting a bit teary. With the sudden emotions bursting inside of her, she couldn't help but feel her throat dry.

"It's been almost five years since then. I thought everyone has forgotten about me, but I guess that such a huge event cannot be forgotten that easily."

Ai leaned her head back and placed an arm over her eyes. She breathed out a sigh as she remained in that position. She thought that if she would see how the others looked at her at this point, she might not be able to keep a straight face and break down. Why did she even show her scars to them, anyway? She didn't know why, too. Maybe it was the sudden mood swings.

"Um... Don't ya mind if I ask?"

"... Go ahead."

Ai didn't expect Saki to speak up, so her shoulders jumped up a bit in surprise. She still hid her eyes from the two as she braced herself from the blonde's question.

"What... exactly happened to ya back then?"

Saki had been stopping herself from asking this for a very long time. But now that Ai seemed to be more open for some reason, she took the opportunity and asked away.

"..."

Or she was just wrong about Ai being more open about it. The short haired girl just remained in her position, covering her eyes with her arm. Saki could see her form quivering slightly.

Saki was about to apologize but Ai suddenly spoke up after the stretching silence.

"Sakura... can you tell her? I can't really find the energy to..."

"Eh?! Me?"

Sakura, who was suddenly thrown into the spotlight, pointed at herself in a panic. Was it really okay for her to speak for Ai's sake? But... she's the one who instructed her to do it. Ai couldn't even speak of it herself, will it really be okay? Sakura breathed in deeply and prepared herself.

"Ai-chan was... in an accident during a live performance."

"An accident? What kind of accident?" Saki said carefully, her tone a bit low. It was rare to see her act so seriously, with that personality of hers.

"... She was hit by lightning." Sakura finished.

"... Holy crap."

Saki's eyes widened in shock, then she immediately turned her eyes on Ai. She still remained unmoving, but if you look closely, she was biting tightly on the mask covering her face. With all those burns, just how much damage did it cause her? She said she was once an idol, then she was struck by lightning during a live show? That... that's just too much.

At the same time, Junko arrived at the living room with a tray of tea on her hands. She must have heard the conversation as a solemn expression was apparent on her face. She placed the tea before them then proceeded to sit beside Ai politely and breathed out a slight sigh. She also stared at Ai's form worriedly but she didn't say anything.

"Then, were you there, Sakura?" Saki suddenly asked.

"Huh?"

"During that incident."

"I..."

Sakura trailed off, touched her arm, then continued.

"...I wasn't there. I was hospitalized back then."

Sakura answered with a stiff expression. Saki remembered hearing from Sakura that she was also in an accident some time ago, so this must be what she was talking about. But to think of it, that year must be one hell of an unlucky year. She also stared at the huge scar on her arm with melancholy on her face. She then glanced at the fidgeting Junko at the side and wondered if something happened to her that year, too. That would be totally insane. Saki picked the cup that was served to her and drank slowly.

A deafening silence followed. Nobody talked for quite a while as only the sound of clinking cups were heard amidst the tense atmosphere.

But surprisingly, it was Ai who broke the silence.

"...Enough about that. Due to some stuff, I can't really do the painting today. But Junko invited you in, so..."

Ai said awkwardly then sipped on her cup. Junko invited them in, then what? What were they going to do with all these people? Sakura and Saki smiled awkwardly with the same thoughts in their minds. Then they all stared at Junko with an inquiring gaze.

"I... just want to meet you two, then maybe talk for a while?" Junko said a bit startled from the attention.

"What are we gonna talk about at this rate? I can't really think up of anythin'."

Saki said as she placed a hand on her chin. With the awkward atmosphere that they created, talking about something might stir it a bit more, especially if even the slightest thing reminded them of the trauma they have been through.

"Maybe... we could talk a bit about ourselves?" Said Sakura with a bright expression.

"But you did that yesterday, right? It might end up... quite nasty."

"Oh right..." She scratched the back of her head.

A collective sigh was heard. They really had nothing to do.

They came here for business, and they were not prepared for this situation.

"M-maybe, you can just finish your tea?" Junko said, unsure of her words. She was not really that much of a talker, too.

The two nodded. They ran out of things to say. It felt like there was a huge gap between the four of them that they couldn't pass without a bridge. When would that bridge be built? As minutes passed by without anyone talking, the tea on their cups had emptied, too. Dusting her pants, Saki stood up and stretched her arms and back.

"That was good. We'll just drop by again when yer feeling better."

"Yeah, I'll be expecting you then." Ai said as she also stood up, placing her hand back to her pockets.

Sakura and Junko also stood up, then the four of them proceeded to the front door. The two long haired girls wore their shoes and said their goodbyes.

"Right, see ya again Ai. And ya too, Junko."

"It's a pleasure to have you here." Junko said politely in response.

"Goodbye Ai-chan, Junko-chan. I'll be visiting again for the painting..." Sakura waved shly at the two of them with a slight smile.

"Sure. Anytime." Ai waved back.

Saki held the doorknob, twisted it, then opened the door widely. They were about to step out from the door but a strong gust of wind blew straight to their faces.

"What the heck?!" Saki cursed as she backed away from the onslaught of cold and strong winds. She accidentally stepped on Sakura's foot and a yelp was heard.

"Sa-saki-chan! That hurts!"

"Sorry! The wind's just too strong! What the heck?! Is there some kind of a storm or something?!" Saki yelled at the strong gust of wind hitting her whole body.

"I haven't heard anything about a storm..." Junko said, her face looking a bit puzzled. It was just sunny earlier. What happened? She could also feel the cold wind as it passed their door.

_'It must have been my luck...' _Sakura thought to herself. She really had a bad case of bad luck that she started to fail being surprised when something unexpected happens.

After the strong winds came the sudden heavy rain. It was so heavy that the raindrops sounded loudly as it landed on the pavement. Saki gaped at the sudden turn of events. "I can't ride my motorbike like this!"

"Maybe we shall wait for the rain to pass?" Sakura suggested without much thought. She stared at Junko who nodded at her.

"You should stay inside for a while. I'm sure the rain would stop soon." Junko said as she gazed at the fast descent of the heavy raindrops.

"Alright, even though I don't like waitin'." Saki closed the door again and scratched the back of her neck.

"... Then let's hurry back to the living room. Nothing's going to happen if we just stand here." Ai said after a short pause. Her words suddenly felt a bit cold, reminiscent of the wind that blew earlier. She walked robotically back to the living room's direction without waiting for them.

"Ah, you're right!" Sakura immediately followed her back after removing her shoes.

"What's up with her?" Saki muttered under her breath as she soon started to follow them. She then stared at the silent Junko unmoving from her position. The white haired girl just gazed at Ai's back with a worried gaze.

"Hey, Junko. Whatcha standing there for?"

"O-oh, nothing." Junko caught up to them with hurried steps, her eyebrows still knitted into a worried frown.

* * *

Author's note:

Hi everyone! uwu

It's me again! Sorry for the delay, I've been busy with work these past few days~ I hope this ended up good like the first chapter. And thank you for the reviews and likes and follows! Really appreciated!

About their ages, They are all in their early twenties. Junko is 1 year older than Saki, Saki is 1 year older than Sakura, and Sakura is 1 year older than Ai. Just like in the anime. Just for clarification uwu

I hope you guys enjoy this! And expect another delay because work is always on it's way! Oh wait that rhymed, cool.


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